The words died in my throat as he narrowed his eyes at me. “Fans aren’t allowed backstage.”
“I’m not—" I paused. I couldn’t exactly say I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t want Jayce’s first impression of me to be a negative one.
“I suppose I can let this one go,” he continued. “If…” A small smirk crossed his lips.
“If…?” I clenched my purse tight in my hands, trying not to sound breathless.
“You tell me what you thought of the song.”
I blinked. “What?”
Jayce shrugged, deceptively casual, but his eyes burned into me, dark and intense. “It’s new. We haven’t played it in front of an audience before. The execs weren’t sure, but Kell insisted.”
I had barely paid attention to the song, too wrapped up in our staring contest. I thought back to the bits I’d heard at the beginning.
“I liked it.”
“That’s it?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Fighting against all my instincts to swoon on the spot, I somehow managed to answer. “For all that you guys love flair, the song was surprisingly subtle.”
“Subtle?” His brows furrowed.
“I’m not saying it’s boring!” My inner fangirl was gibbering at me. My rock star idol was standing only a few feet away, asking my opinion on his new song. Was this really happening? “It was catchy. The chorus had a good hook.”
“But how did it make you feel?”
I struggled to think, contemplating his question for a moment. “It was… sad. There was a sense of loss. The song had an almost anguished feel. But there was an undertone of anger, too. Fury. No one could accuse you of clichéd teenage angst, though. There were complex layers to it.”
“Complex layers…” Jayce tapped one thumb against his bottom lip, eyes unfocused and staring off into the distance. “That sounds familiar.”
It was something I’d written about Feral Silence online before. All of their music had weight, a depth to it that should have been incongruous with their catchy hooks, but somehow they made it work.
“And of course, there was an undertone of seduction that’s unique to your sound.”
Eyes focusing back on mine, Jayce flashed me a considering look. I flushed, wondering if I shouldn’t have said that last part.
“And were you seduced?”
That rough voice turned smooth, the words crashing over me, turning my insides into liquid. I let out a small, choked noise, nearly swallowing my tongue. Jayce just laughed.
“Thanks for the insight.” He strolled toward me. The hallway was wide but he made sure to brush by close enough for our chests to nearly touch. I shivered, a wave of warmth rushing through me. “I’ll be sure to tell the guys we’ve got the approval of our fans.”
He pushed open the next set of doors and was gone. I collapsed against the wall, letting out the breath I’d been holding.
I’d told Jayce Evans of Feral Silence that I found him seductive.
No, I reminded myself. I told him I found his music seductive.
Same thing, a small voice inside me piped up.
I took slow breaths in and out. When I came back from my Jayce-induced stupor, I saw a flurry of text messages on my phone from Deena Malik. I texted back furiously, letting her know I was here and just trying to find my way around. I didn’t want my new boss to think I was late.
My head was still down, focused on my phone, when a voice spoke up from behind me.
“What are you doing here?”
I jumped and whirled around. Another person with a clipboard and headset frowned at me.
